the picture is from the UDNpapers…
This, is not a new idea still, from the Newspapers, translated…
The NTU Children’s Hospital Had the Red-Nose Doctors Now, the Sardine-Punk Performances Group would come, twice a week, to bring laughter to the young children who are ill.
“The clown doctors are coming today”, other than those doctors in white robes at the N.T.U. Children’s Hospitals, there are now, those big red-nosed “clown doctors” too, filling up the wards, the hallways with laughter, turning this originally, icy, cold space, into, a big game room.’
For the children in the children’s hospitals across U.S. and Europe, they’re not at all, unfamiliar with the clown doctors, but, it wasn’t until last year here, that the very FIRST clown doctor was “born” in Taiwan.
The Theatre De La Sardine’s art director, Ma, fifteen years ago, when she’d gone to France to study, she was, deeply impressed by the clown doctors, last year, she’d gone to France to get trained, became the very first certified clown doctor across all of Asia, she was even able to, transfer the systems that worked in France to Taiwan, to train the team of seven professional clown doctors, so the kids who are ill in Taiwan, can get infected, with the joys brought by the clown doctors as well.
In order to become a clown doctor, the individuals must train in artistic and theoretical courses, of the artistic courses, there are, body language, magic, masks, and puppeteering, and also, the individuals must also have the medical knowledge base, background in psychology as well, because their jobs not only entails making the kids laugh, but also, needed to learn to face the sadness, the losses from death as well.
The clown doctors from Theatre de la Sardine entered into N.T.U. Children’s Hospital this July, they’d made two visits per week, bringing surprises to the children who are ill. On the day of the clown doctors’ visits, a young child with a drip hid by the door of the hospital room with her mother’s help, the child screamed aloud, and, the clown doctor became so scared that she’d, retreated to the corner, making the child laugh, then, the child started playing a game of hide-and-go-seek with the clown doctor.
Hsieh had worked as a clown doctor for five months to date, she said, that once, she was, getting the “crowd” up in a hospital ward, she’d realized, that there was, a young girl, outside in the halls, waiting, silently, waited until she’d done her performances for the children, the little girl handed her a painting, with a huge heart, and her name printed on it, Hsieh felt her heart warmed up.
The Thoracic ICU primary physician, Lu recalled, how a decade ago, when he’d gone to intern for the Boston Children’s Hospital, he came in contact with a clown doctor. He’d recalled, that there was a mother, with her terminally ill child, the mother understood, that the child will die, and that when the child was staying in the hospital, he’d not smiled at all, the only time he’d smiled was, when the clown doctors came to visit.
Lu said, that as most children entered into the hospital environment, they’d usually feel scared and pain, and, the clown doctors can help the children face up to their own illness with a more positive attitude, and they can, affect the treatment too, in a positive way.
The Theatre de la Sardine stated, that they’re now, making appearances at the Taichung V.M.H., as well as the Children’s Hospital from the Chinese Medicine Medical School, they hoped that in February of next year, the doctors, wearing their red noses will have the opportunity to go to the middle strip of Taiwan, to pass along the warmth as well.
And so, this, is an amazing idea, from a woman, she’d realized, that children who got sick, had only bad experiences with the hospital, and, she’d worked hard, to change that, by becoming certified as a performance clown, and, with her medical knowledge, she’d managed to bring not just treatment, to the children who needed, but also, she’d made their hard hospital stays a lot more fun too!
Life, the Obstacle Course 